CONCORD, N.H. — A realtor who was arrested Friday and charged with keying nearly a dozen cars parked outside the New Hampshire GOP convention earlier this month will remain behind bars, as authorities have concerns he may pose a safety risk to himself and others.
Lawrence A. Dunlap, 37, of Concord, faces 11 felony counts of criminal mischief for the April 13 incident, which involved multiple vehicles clearly marked as belonging to state lawmakers, according to court records.
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from the scene outside Concord High School to identify Dunlap as the suspect, then they executed search warrants Friday at his Spring Street home, where they made an unsettling discovery, according to an affidavit by Concord police Detective Evan Q. Cristy.
Detectives found a canvas tote bag with items that included latex gloves, flex cuffs, a billy club, a medieval mace, face masks, and dark clothes, according to the affidavit. They also found what they described as “a manifesto style document” that expresses suicidal ideation and refers to former president Donald J. Trump by name.
A prosecutor asked a judge during Dunlap’s arraignment hearing on Monday to hold him in preventive detention rather than allowing him to be released on bail given the undertones of the note, the items found in the bag, the fact that Dunlap owns multiple firearms, and the “significant” mental health concerns he disclosed to authorities after his arrest.
Dunlap’s defense attorney, James D. Rosenberg, argued the firearms and bag of “odd items” recovered during the search have no direct relevance to the charges in this case. Nothing about the allegations against Dunlap suggests he threatened anyone, he said.
“We are not aware at this stage of this case of any claim that there were threats of violence, weapons used, or weapons brandished toward any person. ... So we have no knowledge at all that there is some sort of nexus between these alleged items the state says they have recovered and the circumstances surrounding the charges that are now in court,” he told reporters after the hearing.
Rosenberg said his client wrote the “suicide-like letter” late last year, shared concerns with his wife early this year, and has been seeing a physician who adjusted a relevant medication. He said his client’s wife took possession of the key to his gun safe earlier this year as well.
The judge said she appreciated Rosenberg’s arguments but remains concerned Dunlap could pose a safety risk to himself or the community, so she ordered him held on preventive detention and scheduled a probable cause hearing for May 9.
Dunlap appeared via video conference from the Merrimack County jail for his arraignment, while his defense attorney and several family members appeared in person at the 6th Circuit District Division in Concord.
New Hampshire GOP Chairman Chris Ager expressed gratitude for the professionalism of Concord police and the court system for prioritizing public safety.
Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.